In a groundbreaking development for the global art community, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata have pioneered a novel, non-invasive technique to authenticate paintings and detect forgeries. This innovation, developed in collaboration with the city's Chitrakoot Art Gallery, promises to bring scientific objectivity to an arena long dominated by subjective opinion.
The End of Destructive Testing
For decades, the process of verifying an artwork's authenticity was inherently damaging. It required scraping off microscopic samples of pigment for chemical analysis—a method that art dealers hesitated to employ and collectors were rarely willing to permit. This destructive approach often left crucial authentication questions unanswered, allowing uncertainty and forgery to flourish in the market.
The new technique, named RaFiTech (Raman Fingerprint Technology), renders this invasive practice obsolete. It employs a laser-based, touch-free system that reads the unique molecular signature of the pigments used in a painting. This method has already secured seven patents, marking it as one of India's most significant advancements in art forensics.
How RaFiTech Works: A Chemical Fingerprint
The science behind the innovation is both elegant and precise. During authentication, a narrow laser beam is directed at carefully selected points on the artwork. The pigment molecules scatter this light in distinct patterns, known as Raman wave numbers, which act as an unalterable chemical fingerprint.
These unique signatures are then cross-referenced with global pigment databases that document the historical timeline of when specific colors were manufactured and used. If the pigments align with materials available during the artist's lifetime, the work gains substantial credibility. A mismatch, however, raises immediate red flags.
"In the case of Ganesh Pyne, for example, we detected pigments that are extremely old or prohibitively costly—materials a forger would never use," explained Soumyajit Roy, who leads the EFAML Materials Science Centre at IISER Kolkata and is part of the RaFiTech project. "We also identified newer pigments that appeared on the artist’s palettes only during his active years. This dual fingerprint is impossible to copy."
Bringing Objectivity to a Subjective Field
The drive for this scientific solution came from Prakash Kejriwal, an art connoisseur and owner of Chitrakoot Art Gallery. Frustrated by the art market's reliance on fallible human judgment, Kejriwal sought an unbiased method. "If provenance is weak or a work comes through a dealer, authentication often rests on opinion or family certification," Kejriwal said. "This has damaged connoisseurship and trust. We needed an objective method."
Curator Prabhas Kejriwal, who frequently manages exhibitions of Bengal masters, highlighted the long-standing industry problem: the absence of a formal certification authority. "Authenticity has always rested on provenance trails, expert opinions, and stylistic assessments. These are useful, but not foolproof. RaFiTech finally gives us a scientific, unbiased method," he stated.
The technology's application is already vast. The team's patented methods now allow for the authentication of works by legendary artists including Rabindranath Tagore, Abanindranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, Ganesh Pyne, and even sculptures by Somnath Hore.
Furthermore, as IISER researcher Trisha Chakraborty points out, RaFiTech's power extends beyond examining single paintings. "We can compare pigment profiles across multiple works attributed to the same artist. If two paintings don’t share key pigment signatures, at least one is inauthentic," she said, showcasing the method's potential for broader art historical analysis.
This collaboration between a premier scientific institute and an art gallery has successfully bridged the gap between science and culture. By offering a reliable, non-destructive pathway to confirm authenticity, RaFiTech is poised to restore trust, protect cultural heritage, and reshape the future of the art market in India and beyond.
